Rob’s blog
Join me at the IABC/BC Bronze Quill awards!
I'm going to be emceeing (take that, autocorrect!) the IABC/BC Bronze Quill awards next Wednesday night, June 12, at the swishy Renaissance Vancouver Harbourside. (For everyone who is suddenly consumed with anxiety at that news, the organizers have spoken with me and...
“If I knew then what I know now”: insight and wisdom from veteran communicators
Back in April, I got to join a lineup of communications professionals, sharing our experiences and career life lessons at an evening of storytelling hosted by IABC/BC. The evening surpassed every expectation I had. Each of the presenters spoke with passion and often...
Life Cycle of a Dumb Tweet
1 For whatever reason – not enough food with the wine at dinner, a coup d'état in the brain where the amygdala seizes control, or just a moment of weakness – someone in a position of prominence and authority posts a Dumb Tweet. 2 Others read the Dumb Tweet and retweet...
Whatever the opposite of “Presentation Zen” is
It always warms my heart a little when separate spheres of my life bump into each other. And my webcomic-reading, cartoon-drawing sphere just nudged my public-speaking sphere in the latest installment of John Allison’s webcomic Bad Machinery.
Why Jon Favreau looked so tired the morning of Sept. 10, 2009
Presidential communications are seamless, hermetic; they betray no sign they were ever hashed out at 2 am over cold Chinese food. But now and then, we get a glimpse of what goes on.
Catch Colin Moorhouse’s speechwriting workshop – in person or online
I’ve known Colin Moorhouse for several years now, mostly as a disembodied (phone, social media and email) presence — but a thoughtful, experienced and generous one. Possibly the leading speechwriting trainer out there (with two decades under his belt!), he has a lot of insight and knowledge to share. And he’s done just that for … Keep reading →
Stop the downward slide: Eric Bergman’s ’5 Steps to Conquer Death by PowerPoint’
I enjoyed Eric Bergman‘s book 5 Steps to Conquer ‘Death by PowerPoint’: Changing the World One Conversation At a Time, once I got over my initial disappointment that it isn’t about using PowerPoint to conquer death*. (I’d missed those all-important quotation marks.)
Speeches and accountability: when a human has to say the absurd
Back in December, NRA spokesperson Wayne LaPierre finally broke the gun lobby’s silence after the Newtown massacre. And David Murray made this crucial point on his blog at Vital Speeches of the Day: NRA chief reveals another valuable social purpose of speeches: They force leaders to say their position with a straight face. And we get … Keep reading →
5 tips from Alex Honeysett, and two more from me.
Alex Honeysett offers a solid set of 5 Public Speaking Tips for Entrepreneurs who are nervous at the thought of getting up in front of an audience. Her advice includes practicing knowing your space (really important, and so often overlooked) knowing your audience finding the balance between self-promotion and the content people came to hear breathing – … Keep reading →
You, in the back. Stop looking at me and start tweeting.
Jeff Hurt reports on a study that suggests tweeting during a class isn’t distracting – it actually increases engagement: Education Professor Christine Greenhow, Michigan State University, conducted a study on Twitter as a new form of literacy. Her results showed that adults who tweet during a class and as part of the instruction: are more … Keep reading →
Wayne LaPierre: small calibre, large bore
The scariest thing of all? This wasn’t the dumbest thing he said. At all. By a wide margin.
Next time you’re getting down on yourself about how long it takes you to write…
…consider how long it takes Jerry Seinfeld to write a joke. Of course, consider as well the attention to craft and detail – particularly timing – that he devotes to the process. Chances are, many speechwriting clients aren’t so vested in the process that they’ll be willing to give you that kind of running room… not … Keep reading →
Why, yes — I’d LOVE to speak at your event
Public speaking and speechwriting: the essential guides
Looking for advice on public speaking, speechwriting and leadership communications? Here are some of my most comprehensive posts, on topics that people ask me about most often.
